One of the most accomplished litigators in London and head of Clifford Chance’s UK dispute resolution practice, Jeremy Sandelson’s polished but no-nonsense style has won him friends and allies around the City.

His CV includes cases as varied as Thyssen and the Piers Morgan ‘City Slickers’ investigation, but 2005 was notable less for his feeearning work than for his sudden elevation to one of the most powerful positions in Clifford Chance. In the autumn, Sandelson was elected unopposed to the job of London managing partner - a post that immediately secured him a place on the firm’s global management committee.

Sandelson is suave but a tough nut - and ambitious enough to refashion the London role in his own image.